Looking for a new home...

As I planned my coming in Syria, I am now looking for a new student house or residence to live in during this year. My current home was only for the first month because I am living with foreigners and I want to live only with arabs. I would like to experience the arabic way of life and had a cheaper bill than the Baramkeh fee. I am searching for about 2 weeks but I did not find any contacts that succeed. Here, it works diferent, they is not any board in the university where to look about it. I asked many Syrian, I know that there is a residence in Mezze.

Damascus University

Today was the First Day on the Damascus University. It give me the same feeling as last year: good rhythm in the schedule with a pause each hour to keep concentrated, nice teachers and classes with few students (8~12). I am in the 2nd level as I was expecting. In the language center, there are many Europeans and also Syrians because they teach also Russian, Japanese, French, etc. After Abdul* lessons during one year it is easier to learn the complete writing grammar because it sounds logic and only practical application of oral expression.
The language center schedule is organized by month sessions. But it follows the Arabic Muslim calendar (Moon calendar) as dates do not fit with Christian months: a session can begin and finish in some day during the Christian month. Between each session, we have an average of 10 days of holiday. In conclusion, the rhythm of the university is strong and we can not miss more than 4 days during a session.
Lessons are between 9am to 1pm. The week-end is on Friday and Saturday.

*Abdul was my teacher in Madrid, his method of teaching Arabic is based in listening and repeating daily use of Arabic. It introduces you to the complex grammar structure of the language without getting rid of it because you just use the forms you repeat in a context.

Burkina Faso Wedding (18/10/07)‎

The Damascus quarter were the wedding was celebrated

The friends of the groom, in front of the mosque after the praying time

We met a guy from Comores that explaned us the customs and tradition in a african wedding

The groom just came and salute his guests

He salute and have a speech with the family of the bride next to the door of the mosque

The Comorian tell us about the suits for an african wedding

The typical shoes made of coco tree

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The groom had a long speech with each of his guests

In the way to the house of the groom

The wedding meal

Before we ate, many sourats from the holy quran were read

Quran lecture, followed by long spiritual and tribal speeches adressed to the groom in both classic arabic and tribal language

We were only 3 europeans, we enjoyed a lot these unknowed customs !

Tahdiid moustawa

Level test on Tuesday 16th october was not so great...everybody felt that it was too difficult!
But it is quite normal : they give us the hardest test just to be able to make easily the groups of students in the 8 levels from beginner to advanced.
No surprises, I get the results and I will be in 2nd level as I expected.
Classes will begin on Sunday 21th october.

Damascus views

Some landscapes in Damascus...

The Mount Qasioun is on the right side
a typical street in Damascus

Eid

In the street jasmatiia, the incredible atmosphere of the people going to buy some sweeties.
It's a kind of souk with all kind of arabic sweets. Every merchant try to convince with a so great hability and so original ideas...

Iskandar (Thursday 3rd October 2007)‎

This day we went to mosque near Iskandar house to have the Iftar at 6:30pm. The ‎quarter was quite poor. Muslims are respectful with non-Muslim people; they let you ‎come to watch their praying and share the meal in the mosque. In the meantime, I try ‎to read some piece of a good looking Koran but it is still to difficult for me to ‎understand. The vocabulary is old and you need strong knowledge of grammar to get ‎the finest sentences. ‎
Iskandar = Alexander in Arabic

Iskandar looking beyond the atmosphere

We were among a group of little boys

An "access" to a little souk, on the way

The typical health way of seating on the floor

Try to find what it is made from ?

Happy faces after some food!

AEU (Wednesday 3rd October 2007)‎

The first starving day at Arab European University was awful. So tired and so rid of ‎everything! And it is almost guilt of Arabesk turn over: The night I came to Baramkeh ‎house, the bed I should take from the polish guy that was living was still occupied. But ‎it was still amazing to discover a new build university in the middle of the desert after ‎‎45’ bus trip! It looks like an American modern campus with palms, grass and high tech ‎buildings. I will experiment only 2 days on the Arabic Language Centre of this private ‎Syrian college because courses do not fit to my way of learning instead of being ‎cheaper than the public university. Other particularity, the week is scheduled as ‎Saturday to Wednesday as working days when all Syria week is from Sunday to ‎Thursday! (Some people say ‎ديمشق مجنون‎, Dimasq Majnoun as ‘crazy Damascus’…)‎
On the evening, the first Arabic meal at home…made on the Danish way by Pelle ‎‎(from Copenhagen): lens soup, dates, etc... ‎

Tuesday 2nd October 2007 / Arrival‎

During the trip to Damascus, an interesting doctor was seating next to me. He was ‎going back to Syria to have some holidays with his family after a half face paralysis. I ‎get impressed by his life story and what happened to him. We had a long speech ‎about people aims in occident and middle-east. With this paralysis he realized that all ‎his life was only hurry to make something for the future. I felt that this accident woke ‎up his ‘Syrian roots’ and he was regardless to his interest in occident. I loved speak ‎with him about politics and news. He has a clear and easy point of view to explain ‎complex happenings. I like when somebody simplify situation to get into his truth with ‎only few demonstrated arguments.‎
I hope to see him again, one day…‎

Life in Damascus

(title of the blog : Hayati fi Dimasq = My life in Damascus)

I came in Syria on Tuesday 2nd of October 2007...
This blog will be my log book as I made a commitment to publish it.